The Magic of the Prétear
by Arcalia Reed
Summary: Which is more fatal, damage of the body...or damage of the soul? Plunged into seperate worlds where they are tortured in different ways, the 7 of them face deadly enemies. Will the Prétear's Knights survive?
1. Will you marry me?

Minna-san, this is my first Prétear fanfic so please do read and review. ^_^ I may have gotten some of their ages wrong so if I have, please do let me know as I have only watched the anime and nothing else. Thank you very much for reading this. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer : I don't own Prétear and Sqaresoft or FFXII. T_T Its sad, really. J/k.  
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Hayate looked up at the window to Himeno's room and smiled. It was ten years since the battle with the Disaster Queen Fenryl and everything had settled down well. As he approached the Awayuki Mansion, he felt inside his pocket for the small box containing something that would well change his entire future but he didn't regret it one bit. He rung the doorbell and was promptly guided into the house by a smiling Tanaka-san. Apparently, he knew Hayate was about to do, arriving in such formal clothes with a huge bouquet and a box of chocolates.  
  
As Hayate walked up the stairs, the thought about the last Prétear, Takako, and all the challenges he had gone through with Himeno just to defeat the Disaster Queen. Then he thought about the other Leafé Knights. It brought a smile to his lips to think how much the three younger ones had grown.  
  
Mannen had greatly changed from the small boy he had been into a charming young man. He had matured greatly over the years yet retained his cheery lovable self. Shin and Hajime had changed much as well but they still retained abit of their old characteristics. Shin had become quite the introvert, diving into his books every moment he could and Hajime had gotten more daring than before. With Go's help, he managed to set up a Skate Boarding Club.   
  
Sasame, Go, Kei and himself had changed as well. Sasame had since set up his own radio station and him and Takako were getting on really well. Go had gone into martial arts and planned to set up his own dojo if he could. Kei had joined Sqaresoft after they recognised his great talent and was currently working on Final Fantasy XII. As for himself, Hayate had been with Himeno ever since. He loved Himeno deeply and often asked himself why it was taking him so long to do this.  
  
As he reached the top of the flight of stairs, he breathed deeply and knocked on Himeno's door, fumbling for the last time with the box in his pocket.   
  
"Come in!" A cheerful familiar voice greeted him. He opened the door and saw Himeno sitting at her table, crushed paper strewn all over. "Himeno." He called out, smiling, trying hard to conceal the large bouquet and chocolates but to no avail. Himeno turned to him and gasped as she watched him come closer to her then kneel down.   
  
"Himeno, will you ma-.."He didn't get to finish his sentence. Himeno had fainted and landed forward onto him. "Himeno, HIMENO!!" He said shaking her. Within those few seconds, her whole body had turned pale and cold and blood was trickling from her forhead. A pain shot throught Hayate's chest at this. He immediately dismissed the pain and focused his mind on Himeno. He was shocked at what had just happened but something at the back of his mind told him that Himeno didn't just faint. That it was probably the fortelling of something much much worst. He gently carried her to the bed and set her down. Moving his hand up to her pale face he brushed away her hair to find the source of the blood and was surprised to see a deeply etched mark. It was small yet noticeable. It was a familiar symbol but Hayate just couldn't remember what. He looked around for something he could use to clear the blood.  
  
Just as he did so, 6 glowing orbs materialised in the room and changed into the remaining 6 Leafé Knights. Worry was etched all over their faces.  
  
"We all felt it, didn't we.." Hajime said, his voice shaking. The rest nodded slightly. It was a jolt of pain through the heart that the Knights would feel should two bad things occur. One, the arrival of a greater evil or two, the death of the Princess Prétear. The Leafé Knights moved towards the bed on which the still figure laid. Kei looked towards the bouquet and box of chocolates strewn on the floor, and walked over to the distraught Hayate.   
  
"She will be fine, Hayate. Himeno is a strong girl." He said, laying a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder."All we need to do now is find out how this happened and get Himeno back." It was pretty much unlike Kei to say something that caring, he usually just said whatever truth he knew, often hurting others in the proces, but this was different. He had watched the two lovers for a very long time, and after all their hardships, he felt that they deserved to be together.  
  
Hayate looked up, fear for his love clearly etched into every fine feature of his face. He nodded in agreement.  
  
Suddenly, the ground shook violently and the 7 Knights heard a chilling voice inside their head.  
  
"You've always depended on the Prétear till now, my dear Knights. Now let us see how well you do without her!" The voice laughed and a huge dark swirling portal appeared beneathe them. Without any time to react, they were sucked in...  
  
  
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Please do tell me what you think about this. Arigatou gozaimasu. ^_^  
  
To Kithkin : Thank you very very much for pointing that loophole out. I really appreciate your feedback and I have therefore added in those few lines which I hope will make it clear. Thank you so much once again. ^_^  
  
In the next chapter : The Leafé Knights arrive in the territory of a mysterious woman who seems to want nothing more than each of them dead. Could she have caused Himeno's sudden collapse? What will she do to the 7 Knights? Read the next chapter to find out. :) 


	2. False

To Kithkin : Thank you again for reviewing. ^_^  
  
  
In the previous chapter : Hayate was about to propose to Himeno when suddenly, the girl fainted. The seven Knights experience something that fortells the death of the Princess Prétear or the coming of a greater evil. Just as the Knights decide how to save Himeno, they are sucked into a dark portal.  
  
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"Welcome to my creation, dear Knights. It is called the Abyss of Oblivion. Have fun! I know I will." The voice paused to suppress what seemed like an insane laughter. "Toying with that little girl you call a Prétear. Ooh, and I won't forget any of you either!"   
  
That was all the Knights could hear as they continued to fall. Suddenly, they stopped. Hayate called out to his friends but got no reply.  
  
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Hayate opened his eyes. He was in his room on his bed. He looked at the clock. 7 a.m.. 'What a weird dream...' He told himself. All he could remember about it was that he was falling and falling continuously in this black abyss of darkness. He pushed it out of his mind and remembered which special day it was and immediately got up to get dressed. It was the day he would propose to his love Himeno and he wanted to make it a very special surprise.  
  
As he walked to his washroom, a sudden headache racked through his brain. He had seldom experienced a headache that terrible but there were more important things to do than tending to his head. Grabbing his coat, he stepped out of his house, a feeling of slight nervousness forming within him.  
  
Walking down the street, three familiar faces across the street caught his eye. They were Mannen, Shin and Hajime. For some reason, they suddenly turned towards the Knight of Sound, glaring at him with hate in their eyes. Hayate was taken back, slightly confused. Glancing at his watch, he decided not to pursue the matter until he had popped the question to Himeno.  
  
Continuing on, he felt a huge feeling of awkwardness, as if something was very wrong.   
  
After a while, he arrived at the florist and got Himeno a bouquet of flowers. He had already bought the Guylian chocolates earlier and was on his way again when the headache struck him once more.   
  
'What is this..?' He thought to himself, his hand on a street lamp post, trying to steady himself. 'Why..why does this feel all so weird?'  
  
As he   
Resuming his journey, he tried to forget about his wierd headaches and focused his mind on something else. 'I'm sure Himeno will like this.' He thought to himself, then the time he first met her came to mind. She had literally fallen on him, knocking the wind out of him, then went on to accuse him of something totally ridiculous. Hayate supressed a laugh as a warm smile formed on his face. It always brought a smile to his face when he thought about Himeno.  
  
As he reached the Awayuki Mansion, he was greeted by a small short man with.. hair. Hayate looked at him in recognition and the words just flew out of his mouth. "Tanaka-san?"   
  
"Hayate! You, you look like you've seen a ghost." Tanaka said as he looked curiously at Hayate, setting down his shears with which he was shaping the hedge into a huge.. bunny. Hayate didn't have time to say anything when Tanaka just continued on about a whole list of things that he didn't even bother to listen to.   
  
Suddenly, the headache came again, along with sudden realisation. Tanaka never had that much hair! He steadied himself quick enough to make the older man not even realise that he had felt such pain run through his head. He then told himself that Tanaka probably had tried some hair growing treatment that actually worked. He didn't want to question it, he had a much more important thing to do. Tanaka left him at the open front door and went back to his shearing.  
  
When he entered the house, the first thing he noticed was a sculpture of a tulip on a table near the stairs. It was identical to the one that Kaoru, Himeno's father, had made about 10 years ago. Pain racked through his brain once more. Looking up at the sculpture, it suddenly hit him that Himeno had actually smashed the exact sculpture to bits when she knew that it was an effort to tease her with the usual "Tulip Head" namecalling. Shaking his head, he headed for the stairs.  
  
Soon, he found himself almost at the top of the spiral stairs. Why did it feel so much like déja vu? He was pretty sure he had done this previously. Walking up the stairs, holding a large bouquet in one hand and box of chocolates in the other. But when could be possibly have done this?  
  
Knocking on Himeno's door, he was greeted by the usual 'genki' voice which asked him to come in. Himeno was at her table with crushed papers strewn all over.   
  
"Himeno.." He called to get her attention, trying his best to conceal the bouquet and flowers. The girl turned to him and smiled happily.   
  
"Hayate, ogenki desu ka?" She said happily, setting her pen down. He walked up to her and knelt down. Removing a small box from his pocket.  
  
"Will you.. marry me?" He said as he showed her the ring within the box. Himeno looked at him and smiled.  
  
"I..I.. I can't.." She finally said, a tear falling from her eyes. Shock appeared on Hayate's face. "..What?" He said softly.  
  
"Because all these years I've loved... Sasame..The truth is.. I don't like you.. at all Hayate. I hate the way you always tease me all the time and I can't stand you!" She said, teary eyed. She got up and ran towards her door to get away from the questions she knew would follow if she stayed. Opening her door, she was shocked to see Sasame standing there. Judging by his eased standing position, he must have been there for quite a while.  
  
Sasame glared at Hayate furiously. "What did you do now, Hayate?" He said coldly. The platinum haired man didn't have his usual calm and cool exterior. What replaced it was a cruel and hateful expression, void of any sign of gentle emotion. The headache attacked him again, worse than the last time. Since when was Sasame so cold and uncaring?! Since when was the only love of his life so dearly devoted to one of his best friends?! Their words went like daggers of ice right through his heart. The pain in his head came at full force. He fell to his knees, holding his head.  
  
"No..." He said softly. "NO!" He then shouted, forcing himself to stand up. He finally realised what had taken him the whole day to realise. He remembered that he had indeed proposed to Himeno but she fainted mysteriously instead. Then him and the rest of the Knights were sucked into an abyss and that was probably when he woke up to this "world".  
  
"This is a lie." He said firmly, the headache leaving him instantly, as fast as it had come. "I KNOW that Himeno loves me as she always has and I KNOW that my best friend is not like that. This is all a big lie!" He shouted at the two. The faces of "Himeno" and "Sasame" creased into a look of terror and then they shattered into millions of tiny pieces.   
  
Just then, Hayate heard a chilling familiar voice inside his head. The Knight looked around frantically for just the slightest hope of knowing from who the voice came from.   
  
"Ooh. Strong emotions you feel, my dear boy... You're more powerful than I ever thought, my beloved Knight of Wind. You managed to break through my intricate illusion. I will not underestimate you again, should the occasion call for it." The voice then began to laugh. Suddenly, the room began breaking into pieces and dissipating into an endless black abyss.  
  
"You, who are you?" Hayate said as the ground disappeared. "You will find out in due time, my boy." The voice replied, just as Hayate's vision went black.  
  
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In the next chapter : Sasame, the Knight of Sound, is thrown into a damaging illusion as well but different from the one that Hayate had to go through. How will he deal with it and will he destroy the illusion before it destroys him? 


	3. Alone

Thank you to ErinErina for your wonderful review. I hope you continue your Prétear story soon!~ ^_^ I am continuing this story only because of you!~ ^_^  
  
In the previous chapter : Hayate was put to the test when he was thrown into an illusion where he was rejected by his friends and his only love Himeno. Upon realisation that it was all just a figment of imagination, he managed to break out of the spell. But more evil is rising and the source is still unknown...  
  
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"Sasame!" Takako's voice woke him from his unusual slumber. He adjusted himself with his surroundings. He was at home, sitting on the couch. He turned to the source of the voice and was pleasantly surprised to see Takako emerge from the kitchen with a plate of freshly baked cookies.  
  
"They're making you work too much over time due to your popularity, aren't they?" The former Prétear said as she put the plate down and sat next to Sasame. She smiled at him. It brought back memories of the sacrifice he made to be with her. Due to all his efforts and with the help of the rest of his friends, the Knight of Sound was finally able to be with the one he loved.  
  
Takako had reverted to her old cheerful self. The young strong willed girl that Sasame had fallen in love with before. His thoughts focused back to where he was. 'Odd, I can't seem to remember what I was doing before this. Takako says I was working. But I don't even remember stepping into the office...' Sasame thought.  
  
"How.. How long have I been here?" He asked her, confusion setting in.  
  
"You fell asleep the minute you came back from work, dear. And you've been asleep the past hour." She said gently. Sasame took a moment to clear his thoughts. Hadn't he just been with- He didn't get to finish the thought. The doorbell rang. Takako got up to answer it and was greeted by Hayate and Himeno.  
  
"Hello," Takako said as she invited them in. The smiling couple came in, hands locked in each other's.  
  
"Hey," Sasame said, standing up and snapping himself out of his blurred state. He smiled back and offered them a seat. Hayate sat down while Himeno followed Takako into the kitchen, both of them smiling and talking happily.  
  
"So, what did you want to tell me, Sasame?" Hayate asked intently. He was extremely serious. He was answered by a look of total confusion from his friend.  
  
"I..I wanted to tell you something...?" Sasame replied. ''Why can't I remember anything? What's going on?'  
  
Hayate opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the phone. Picking it up, Sasame hoped that everything would come to him soon. A cheery voice greeted him on the other line.  
  
"Hey!" Goh said over the line. "Hello." Sasame replied, trying to hide the confusion that was evident in his voice.  
  
"Hey, have ya by any chance seen Hayate? I have some urgent news for him."  
  
"Yeah wait a sec." The Knight of Wind said as he glanced around for Hayate. 'Weird. wasn't he here just a minute ago?.He must have gone to the kitchen to Himeno.'  
  
Sasame arrived at the kitchen only to find the two girls happily chatting away. 'He must be in the washroom then.'  
  
When the Knight of Sound got there, he realised that there was no one in it. He went back to the kitchen to ask the girls.  
  
Shock was etched on his face as he reached the kitchen. It was completely empty. As if it hadn't been used at all. Just a while ago, he had seen the two talking happily while drinking some tea. Now there was absolutely nothing. Sasame rushed back to the phone.  
  
Picking it up, he held it to his ear.  
  
"Goh?" He said. There was no reply. He listened intently. The line was dead!  
  
He was beginning to get extremely worried. For Takako, for his best friend and also for the Prétear. Grabbing his coat, he rushed out of the house. The streets were..empty.  
  
There wasn't a single soul in sight. He ran to the nearby convenience store. No one. He ran past the houses and glanced inside. Absolutely no one. It was as if everyone had suddenly vanished!  
  
Silence reigned as he walked back to his house, his thoughts slowly eating away at him. Solitude was something that he had come to accept as a Leafé Knight. But he knew that deep within his soul, he yearned for someone to constantly accompany him through the harshness of life.  
  
As a Leafé Knight, he grew giving the rest the impression that he was the type that always had everything under control. Hiding even his extreme loneliness under his mask. Sometimes, the continuous silence of not having anyone near him just to be there, ate away at his soul.  
  
He got back to his house and sat on the couch, looking forward at a picture frame. It was a picture of him and. Sasame got up and took the picture in his hand. It was the one that he had taken with Takako when he brought her to watch a meteor shower. He ran a finger over the area where Takako's smiling face should have been but it was not there. As if she wasn't even in the picture to begin with.  
  
Sasame fell to his knees. He had never allowed his loneliness to affect him but now, it seemed to be consuming him more than ever. However hard he tried, always acting as the most mature and calm of the group, he could never forget his immense loneliness. Deep inside, he knew that one day, it would probably drive him silently over the edge. His hands reached up to his face, as if to hide himself from the overwhelming emptiness he felt in his heart.  
  
The photo frame fell from his hand. The sudden shattering of the glass brought him back to reality. He looked at the photo once more. Suddenly, a chilling voice suddenly reverberated through the walls of his house.  
  
"Ah, so you feel lonely, dear Leafé Knight." The voice mocked. Sasame listened closely. It was the same voice that he had heard earlier. That was it! The memory of him going to the Awayuki Mansion and seeing Himeno's still body flowed into his mind. He then remembered the falling.  
  
"That is your greatest fear, isn't it.. To be alone.all by yourself. In this harsh uncaring world." The voice continued.  
  
Sasame looked around. He couldn't pin point the source of the voice, even with his powers.  
  
"So you see, my dear..Your friends.. they have all left you. Left you to be all alone.." The voice said, laughing.  
  
Sasame stopped his search and shut his eyes. Memories of his love Takako, his friends the Leafé Knights and of the Prétear Himeno began flowing through his mind. All of them were happy memories of him being together with them. Even though none of them could really see through his mask, they were always there to make him smile and laugh. They were his friends, and they were the people he treasured most.  
  
The Knight of Sound regained his composure and slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"No." He stated simply. "My friends have always been there no matter what. Even with the short time I spend with Takako. I know that she will always be there for me and therefore no matter what, I will never be alone again." Sasame continued. He was thankful that Takako loved him. Often, when he was down, she was the one he thought about and it made life easier.  
  
".Agh.." The voice gasped slightly. The ground shook and just before Sasame's vision blacked out, he saw the room shatter.  
  
That was a really long chapter!~ Thank you to all who read it.  
  
In the next chapter : Goh is going through a hardship of his own as well. What will he do when forced to confront the people he cares for?  
  
Also : Something goes wrong in Kei's life. 


	4. Against the Odds

Its been so long since I wrote the last chapter. I apologise to all of you!!   
  
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In the last chapter : The Leafé Knight of Sound was put to the test by being surrounded by loneliness. What does this mysterious entity wish to accomplish with all this mental torture she's putting everyone throught. Will her plan succeed?  
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Go looked up from his balcony. It was a sunny day, not too hot with no clouds threatening a downpour. He walked down the wooden stairs into a big hall and smiled. It was his dojo. The place he had been wanting to set up for quite a few years already. After the threat of the Disaster Queen was gone and everything had settled down, Go had decided to take his passion for martial arts and turn it into a living.  
  
The dojo was also conveniently situated near Himeno's mansion so he could go there to check up on her whenever time allowed him to. After scanning the area briefly to make sure everything was in order for his first Aikido class in 3 hours time, Go turned back when suddenly there was the sound of footsteps approaching the dojo.  
  
The door opened to reveal the rest of the Leafé Knights and the Prétear as well. Go smiled happily. It was nice of them to drop by. Suddenly he froze. All of them looked angry and they were just standing there. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He tried to lighten the mood.  
  
"Hey, minna-san. Er April Fool was yesterday, what's up with the scary faces?" He asked casually. If this really was an April Fool's joke then it was a bad one, a really bad one. The 7 standing before him didn't budge.   
  
"How about a fight, Go? To test your skill? You should be good, since you have a dojo and all." Hayate said coldly, moving forward, not bothering to remove his shoes.  
  
'What is up with this guy?' Go asked himself. Why were they acting all weird suddenly? He didn't have time to think as Hayate dashed at him, readying his fist for a punch. Go shook himself out of his confusion and blocked it, just nearly. He felt the force of the punch in his palm. Hayate was serious about it. Not giving him a second, Hayate proceeded to kick Go. The tough fighter nimbly dodged it.   
  
He was careful not to hit 'Hayate' even if it didn't seem like his friend at all. Executing his techiniques at precise moments, he was able to throw the Wind Knight off balance without injuring him at all. Suddenly, all the rest lunged for him and began attacking him one by one. Was this for real? What was going on? Why would all of them want to do such a thing?  
  
He fought relentlessly but even a Leafé Knight had his limits. He was tiring and he knew he probably wouldn't be able to fight much longer.   
  
Suddenly, Himeno stepped away from the fight and reached into her pocket. She removed a swiss army knife and smiled cynically.  
  
"Hayate! Catch!" Himeno called as she threw the knife at the Wind Knight. He caught it, grinning. Holding it firmly, he went towards Go.   
  
Go looked at him, readying himself, but he was just too tired. He noticed the clock. He had been fighting for the past 2 hours non stop.   
  
Hayate lunged the blade forward but Go had anticipated it. Dodging swiftly, he grabbed Hayate's left wrist which held the knife and twisted it slightly, knocking the other Knight off balance. He was about to pin Hayate to the ground when suddenly, something that he hadn't anticipated happened.  
  
Hayate reached into his pocket, drew another blade out with his free hand and stabbed Go.   
  
The pain shot through his body as he fell limply to the ground. Hayate smirked and dropped both blades, his work was done. The rest turned around to leave, leaving Go to bleed to certain death. As the blood flowed out through the fresh wound in his stomach, Go looked at the two knives which had fallen near his hands. He could simply pick one up and throw it at any of their backs but he didn't.  
  
They we're his friends. Whether they were possesed like he had just seen them, he knew they would never do this in their right minds. Calmly without regret, he succumbed to the darkness that engulfed him. Just before that though, he heard a voice. Everything came back to him that split second and he remembered everything.  
  
"Ah, strong spirit you have, dear Knight of Fire. Even though you were so brutally hurt, you still did not wish to even harm one of them. Truely, you have much compassion for your friends. Admirable. But.. is it enough to get you through the final battle?" The voice cackled maniacally before the illusion he was in shattered and he was once more engulfed in darkness.  
  
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Please do review. Thanks!~ ^_^  
I apologise for the fact that I left this fic stagnant for a really long time. Had lost inspiration. I know I said that this chapter would have Go and Kei but I wasn't expecting this part to be so long, therefore, the next chapter will be about Kei.   
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In the next chapter : Kei, the smart and level headed one in the group. Will he be able to survive the next illusion or will he crumble before he can save himself. What does the evil entity plan for the rest of the Knights and the Princess Prétear herself? Will she put them through similar illusions? Or will the tests be much more drastic than they already are? 


	5. Weakness

Hello to everyone reading this, it's been ages since I last posted a chapter. All those who have been reading through must really wanna kill me now. So sorrie!! I guess I was just really sad at not being able to get reviews. Actually, I still am. So please do review. Great big thank you to all those who have so far though. Reading thru your opinions are what made me go on with this part.   
  
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In the previous chapter : Go was confronted in his dojo by the rest of his friends and they proceeded to fight with him, yet he did not fight back. Ultimately, through his care and concern for his friends, he managed to break out of the illusion, but will Kei be able to do the same?  
  
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Kei woke up and stared at his computer screen. Had he fallen asleep at work again last night? Probably so. It wasn't that surprising since he had been working till late each night trying to perfect the CGI for his new game while he waited for his reply from SquareEnix about his application for the company.  
  
It was quite a prestigious company, having published games such as the popular Final Fantasy Series, Kingdom Hearts and The Bouncer, to name a few, and Kei wanted to be a part of the company. With his computer knowledge and background, a man of his caliber was almost certainly assured a place in the company.   
  
Suddenly his computer let out a sound, indicating that he had new mail. It was from SquareEnix. Scanning it briefly, he looked for the good news but there was none. Shocked, he read on. The company had rejected his application, saying that his graphics looked too rough and the animation he had sent in, jerky. They also commented that his knowledge of the field was inadequate.  
  
Kei was shocked. He knew as well as anyone did that his work was always of a good standard and that his knowledge was profound. Not once in his whole life had he ever failed at something like this. Something he had set his whole heart and mind to. Yet he failed. He thought it must have been a mistake on their part...and yet it wasn't; they had distinctively mentioned his name in the email and blatantly stated that they felt that he wouldn't be able to cut it.  
  
He didn't feel like looking at the computer anymore. Shutting it down, he left the office. It was almost 7 in the morning.   
  
The Knight of Light headed straight for the Leafé Garden. A place he could relax and clear his mind. He arrived in a second and took in the fresh air, trying his best to forget the email. He sighed, letting it all out. He had tried his utmost best and yet it wasn't enough.   
  
Silently, he sat down by the edge of the lake in the garden and fell deep into a depression. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around sharply, he saw the rest of the Knights approaching him, along with the Princess Prétear. He smiled slightly, at least they would be able to get his rejected application out of his mind.   
  
As they approached, he noticed that they were smiling somewhat cynically, all of them, like as if they were mocking his depression. 'What am I thinking? They don't even know about it. The way they are smiling though.. its so unnerving.. almost.. unnatural.' He thought, but his line of thought was interrupted as the group stood behind him.  
  
"Hey Kei, what's up?" Go asked in a cheery tone. Too cheery.  
  
"Oh, nothing.." Kei said, his semi emotionless look covering his sadness.   
  
"..You deserved it, you know." Hajime suddenly burst out. 'Huh? Deserved what?' Kei thought to himself.  
  
"SquareEnix rejecting you." Sasame stated coldly.  
  
"Wha-" Kei said abruptly but didn't get to finish his sentence.  
  
"Yeah, its not like as if they hire idiots like you." Mannen said, looking towards Kei in disgust.  
  
"You think too highly of yourself Kei." Hayate stated, his arms folded infront of him.  
  
Were they really the friends he knew? What were they saying? Was this all really true? Was he really incapable of landing such a job? Maybe they were right. Maybe he couldn't handle it. After all, SquareEnix was too prestigious a company for the likes of him. It was evident in the fact that getting into such a company was more difficult than getting into Disney. Kei's hands shot up to his face to hide the tears that were already threatening to fall. On the outside, he was always the cold strong one, but suddenly, that facade had just slipped away.  
  
They were right. He couldn't take it. Behind him, he heard them start to snigger. As he looked away towards the lake, he noticed his reflection in the water. His eyes had become smaller in the short time he had begun to cry. It was like staring down into an empty shell of himself.   
  
'This.. this isn't me.' He thought to himself. 'I've never been weak like this, and I don't intend to start. I don't care if I can't get into SquareEnix, its not like its the only game company around.'   
  
Suddenly, it all came back to him in flashes. Him at his computer. Then the sudden pain. Then seeing Himeno lying on the bed unconcious. And finally that black abyss.  
  
That explained everything. The weird behaviour of his friends especially. He was too distraught to think about it earlier but now he was certain. Drying his eyes, he stood up and turned to them, a smile etched across his face; he finally understood.  
  
"You know, for illusions, you're all pretty irritating." He said, matter-of-factly.  
  
Their faces cringed and shattered into a million pieces, as did the scenery around him.  
  
"Ahh, smart you are, little one, but will your intelligence serve you well enough for the final battle? We shall see." A voice echoed through his mind. The same one from before! But he didn't have time to react.  
  
Suddenly, his world went black once more.  
  
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In the next chapter : The four older Knights wake up to what seems like the ultimate nightmare. The mysterious voice tells them that Himeno is dead and they are to face three deadly opponents. Will they make it out alive, or are they destined to die?  
  
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Please do review!!~ 


	6. Nightmare

Aaahhh hontou ni gomen nasai!! I really really felt dead alot lately with absolutely zero inspiration and alot of laziness. Thanks for all the very nice reviews jerjonji, gentleness28, Angel, Youkari Youkai and Kya77. Im really sorry for such a late update. I do hope you will all read this. Please do review to let me know what you think and please feel free to point out any loopholes if you encounter them.  
  
Please be warned that this chapter is not for the light hearted. I tend to describe battles alot. No, its not that gory. .  
  
P.s. Kya, half right! XD  
  
In the previous chapter : Kei went into a depression when his dreams of entering SquareEnix were shattered. To make it worse, his "friends" insulted him by telling him he was incapable of anything, but he realised the difference between friend and foe and managed to shatter the illusion. Now the evil entity has more for the rest of the knights.   
  
"Rise and shine my little pawns!" The chilling voice called out. The older knights blinked their eyes open. As their eyes became accustomed to the lack of light they began to take in their surroundings and realised that they were in the garden of the Awayuki mansion. As the knights glanced around they noted that each was okay, just badly shaken up.   
  
"Where are Shin, Mannen and Hajime?" Kei asked. "Oh, you'll see them soon enough. For now, I have a little present for you." The voice responded, amused.  
  
They looked around again. Everything seemed normal. The key word being 'seemed'. Then they heard a loud splash.   
  
Suddenly, Hayate gasped and froze in shock. Kei, Go and Sasame turned towards where he was looking. Half floating in the fountain was the still and badly battered body of Himeno. The group ran towards her and quickly, Hayate lifted the cold body from the red stained water. Shaking her lightly to wake her up he began assessing her wounds. The damage seemed familiar...Almost as if it was inflicted by them.  
  
"Himeno.." He called out. There was no response. "Himeno!!! HIMENO!!!" He began shaking her harder. The other knights snapped out of their shock and restrained him. "Its okay Hayate, it will all be okay... We'll get to the bottom of this and find out what happened. This cannot be as it seems. Himeno is stronger than this. It will be alright." Kei reasoned, denial present in his slightly shaky voice.   
  
"HOW COULD IT BE ALRIGHT?! Himeno.. Himeno's..-"  
  
"Dead? Deceased? Annihilated? Absolutely breathless? Gone?" The evil voice was back once more, cackling at her own stupid joke. Slowly she began to materialize a few feet infront of them and for the first time they saw her form.   
  
She looked like she came from midieval England, with a large off white dress, pearls on her fair neck and gold clips in her long red curly hair. She smiled and her red lips pursed into a cynical grin as her hazel eyes glinted with evil mischief. Hayate looked up at her with absolute resent. Without prior warning, he lunged up at her calling forth a strong gust of wind.   
  
What happened next almost looked like as if it were in slow motion. Hayate's attacked almost reached the woman when suddenly it looked like as if the attack had passed through a barrier and was just a small droplet of water causing ripples in a pond. The next thing they knew, the attacked had destroyed a good part of the garden behind the evil woman. They looked at her in shock, they were pretty sure she hadn't dodged, or did she? Its wasn't possible that the attack simply passed through her.  
  
She began laughing again. Go scrunched his face in anger. "That's getting to be VERY irritating you know!" He shouted as he launched an attack of his own, but just like with Hayate, the same thing happened.  
  
"My, my, still fooling around are we? Your little princess is dead anyway, you're all probably powerless little insects without her."   
  
"What have you done to her?" Kei asked coldly.  
  
"Well I thought it be rather obvious." She said with a flick of her hand, suggesting that they were asking something very ridiculous. "I killed her." She stated simply.  
  
Hayate was about to launch another attack but Kei stopped him. "Ok that was obvious, now why did you do it?"   
  
"To prove how absolutely useless you are. Once you're all gone, I'll just keep destroying more and more lives..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"For fun."   
  
"Ugh.." Was all Kei could manage to express his extreme anger and disgust at this woman. Quickly, he began thinking of ways to wipe her off the face of the planet. It was evident that she was in another realm. How else could she bypass all the attacks? What they needed to do now was to find a doorway into that realm and destroy her before it was too late. Motioning for the other knights to come closer to him, he leaned inwards and whispered his plans.  
  
"The only way she could've dodged those attacks is if she-" Kei got cut off halfway.  
  
"Was in another realm." Sasame finished.  
  
"So what we need to do now is to-"  
  
"Find the door to the realm, enter it and kill her." Go finished this time. Kei sighed.  
  
"So Hayate should go and find this door while we-"  
  
"Distract her." Hayate finished this time. All of them nodded in agreement and Kei, Go and Sasame turned to face her as Hayate laid Himeno's lifeless body down, scanning the area for anything that could be a door or anything that didn't quite fit in with the surroundings.   
  
Suddenly, in a flash all of them were airborn. Kei, Go and Sasame readied an attack on the woman while Hayate darted around looking for the door. Just as the the former launched their attack, the woman raised a long fingered hand and grinned up at them.   
  
"I...ugh I can't move!" Go said in frustration. "Neither can I." Kei said. "Me too." The Knight of Sound added.  
  
The woman tilted her head in the direction of Hayate. "You think your little friends could distract me from you? All of you should be punished for that." She dramatised. Kei felt sick to his stomach.  
  
With a flick of her wrist she sent the knights plummeting to the ground at a great speed. The four of them landed with a loud thud, followed by the sound of bones breaking.   
  
She looked with satisfaction at the pain she had caused each of the knights who were all just struggling to recover, agony etched over each of their faces.  
  
"Giving up already?" She asked coyly.  
  
"...You..wish.." Go said, shakily trying to stand while holding his rib area and breathing hard.   
  
"..Don't..underestimate us." Sasame said, wincing at the pain in his leg.  
  
"That..was just ..a measly fall." Kei said, holding his arm which was now bent in an awkward position.  
  
"...We're going to pay you back..much more." Hayate said, as a fire of extreme hate burned deep in his eyes.   
  
"I like that look Hayate. Its very...becoming of you." The woman said as she laughed. "If you wish to play so much why don't you have fun with my minions?"  
  
Suddenly a dark portal opened before them with swirls of ebony and out stepped three large monsters with black slime dripping off their bodies. They had ten claws on each hand and large dark sockets with small yellow and black beady eyes suspended by flesh right in the middle of their gruesome faces that looked like the bark of a rotting tree. Their bodies were large in the abdomen area and were supported by skinny bonish legs encased in what seemed like metal armour. Their tongues were sharp pointed set in mouths with at least three rows of teeth.  
  
Hideous was not the word. They were beyond that.  
  
With a deep eerie sounding war cry they lunged out of their portal, rather fast for their size, at the four knights.   
  
Tilting his head, Kei looked right at one of the monsters. Inside its stomach it looked like there was someone trapped there. He looked closer and gasped. The figure had platinum hair and a lean frame.   
  
It was Mannen.  
  
In the next chapter : How can the knights fight if they know that the younger ones are encased in those horrors? Does this mean the self destruction of all the knights?  
  
Ah that was another chapter for you. Thank you all for getting my creative juices flowing again, I must admit, they kinda ran dry for quite a bit. A great thank you to all who have read so far, I do hope you will continue. Please do review. Take care everyone!!! The next chapter will be up soon! 


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